Lisa Johnson

Province broke its own access to information laws in withholding Alberta Next survey results The Alberta government wrongly withheld hundreds of pages of results from its Alberta Next surveys an adjudicator has ruled.

Last week, I learned an adjudicator had sided with me in 5 inquiries re: the province refusing to release results of its Alberta Next surveys

GOA published the multiple choice results in Dec but has been ordered to give me 213 pages of open-answer replies that haven't yet been shared
#ableg #abpoli

From the Ministry of Primary and Preventative Health services today: “Alberta’s government is now reviewing this decision. More information will be shared once the review is complete.”

At Alberta Next panels last year, the support for the proposal to "take more control of immigration" by withholding services was wildly popular. Up in Grande Prairie in Sept., Smith said there will be some items on which "we heard enough, we are going to move them, and we don't need a referendum."

Alberta cuts access to health care for some temporary workers, raising concerns in the Bow Valley | CBC News Alberta has stopped offering provincial health coverage to some people on working holiday and young professional visas, a change that came into effect earlier this year without a public announcement. ...

Well, that happened fast: "The change means people on International Experience Canada (IEC) Type 58 work permits, including working holiday and young professional visa holders, are no longer eligible for Alberta’s public health system."

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

The only in-depth follow I've seen in Alberta on this. This kind of journalistic work takes weeks and the impact of these government decisions will span decades. #abed #ableg

Justice minister rejects Alberta call for more input in federal judicial appointments Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser says he won't act on Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's call for more input on the selection of judges after she said she would withhold court

ICYMI: Yesterday, Fraser said if Alberta withdraws funding for the courts in protest, the feds won't backstop it. @jaredwesley.ca expressed concern that cases will be thrown out if they are delayed... "That's the least conservative approach to law and order that I've heard of." shorturl.at/EdN3w

Alberta's Smith owes answers before separation vote: former federal minister Dion EDMONTON - The man who helped write the rules on separation votes in Canada says if Alberta’s premier is going to take her province down that “worrying” path, she has

Alberta's Smith owes answers before separation vote: former federal minister Dion

From me today:

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/politics/alb...

Canadian Bar Association speaks out against Smith’s judicial appointment demands EDMONTON - The Canadian Bar Association is speaking out against Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's call for more input on the selection of federal judges.

www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

Smith says Alberta will withhold funding for judges without more input on selection EDMONTON - Premier Danielle Smith says her government will withhold funding to support new judicial appointments in Alberta if the federal government doesn't give the province a say on who

Smith says Alberta will withhold funding for judges without more input on selection

Must read NEWS from @reportrix.bsky.social today:

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/prairies_bc/...

Smith says Alberta will withhold funding for judges without more input on selection EDMONTON - Premier Danielle Smith says her government will withhold funding to support new judicial appointments in Alberta if the federal government doesn't give the province a say on who

The Alberta government didn't volunteer a timeline for its ultimatum, released today but sent more than a week ago, and the federal justice ministry's statement focused almost entirely on the general importance of an independent judiciary. From me today: www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/prairies_bc/...

Corb Lund sees anti-coal mining petition drive re-approved by Elections Alberta Corb Lund’s petition effort to outlaw new coal mining in the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains is one step closer to being able to gather signatures.

Corb Lund’s petition effort to outlaw new coal mining in the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains is one step closer to being able to gather signatures.

Some interesting commentary here - great story from @meksmith.bsky.social today www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Alberta chief justices pen rare statement defending judicial independence They spoke out after Premier Danielle Smith said she wished she could ‘direct’ judges

From @mattscace.bsky.social today: www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber...

Hat tip to @jack-farrell.bsky.social for his work right off the hop today distilling many, many more words than are printed here summarizing Smith’s commentary about the role of courts in Alberta, and the legislative actions that impacted them, over many, many months.

Comes a few weeks after Danielle Smith derided courts as "gatekeepers" getting in way of democracy, and used legislation to quash judge's ruling on validity of separatist referendum. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

ANALYSIS | The more Trump allies covet Alberta, the less popular separatism may get | CBC News Independence movement leaders cheer on U.S. cabinet member's praise, but resist talk of Alberta becoming part of States.

In a way, Trumpworld’s new hunger for Alberta is a big blow to the province’s separatist campaign: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... by me

Massive Edmonton care home battling mice infestation, droppings EDMONTON - Alberta's Opposition is calling for action and more transparency in the wake of a prolonged mouse infestation at one of Edmonton's biggest long-term care homes.

Rest assured a recent public inspection report cleared this facility as compliant with accommodation standards. www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/prairies_bc/...

Inside Alberta recall campaigners' cold, hard road to collect signatures to oust MLAs | CBC News Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides' recall bid got 6,500 signatures, but was still far short of its goal. Other MLA recalls appear to be struggling even more than that.

Good journalism, this one: “In nearly two hours standing outside, canvassers got seven signatures of the 9,503 required to trigger a recall election…” The target, like most other recall bids around Alberta, requires more than 100 signatures on average per day for 90 days…. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

“We have to think beyond our own political interests here. We're talking about the structure of a democracy and how for it to be a healthy democracy, there have to be checks and balances,” says one former Alberta justice minister. 👇

Minister says Alberta emergency room deaths and poor outcomes are exceptions to the norm | CBC News As Alberta doctors raise red flags about seeing what they say are delays in emergency room care, the province’s hospitals minister says he doesn’t think cases that the doctors have recently highlighte...

I truly hope you or your loved ones are not among the people who are suffering or experiencing a worse outcome while waiting for care in an Alberta ER and/or hospitals.

However, if you are/were, please consider sharing your experience - use the form at the bottom of this story.

#AbHealth #AbLeg

Spoiler: we didn't

Alberta Opposition NDP calls on Smith to reconvene legislature over hospital crisis EDMONTON - Alberta Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi is calling on Premier Danielle Smith's government to reconvene the legislature five weeks early, saying her government needs to take accountabili...

"There are no plans to recall the legislature.” To be expected. But when you tell reporters not to ask about the thing … www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/politics/alb...

First citizen recall petition against Alberta legislature member fails EDMONTON - The first of more than two dozen recall petitions launched against members of Alberta's legislature has come up short.

That’s pretty much that from @jack-farrell.bsky.social today www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/politics/fir...

Alberta orders judge-led inquiry into death of man waiting for care in hospital EDMONTON - Alberta’s government has ordered a judge-led inquiry into the death of a man who waited for hours for care in an Edmonton hospital.

Alberta orders judge-led inquiry into death of man waiting for care in hospital

It’s also rolling out new system where physicians will be triaging, and even treating, people in emerg waiting rooms.

From @reportrix.bsky.social and me today:

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/health/alber...

Alberta separatist lawyer threatened 'war crimes,' 'murder' charges over COVID vaccine, law society claims Separatist lawyer Jeffrey Rath is challenging claims he breached professional conduct rules by writing to government officials during the COVID-19 pandemic — but admits he used "overly aggressive" lan...

New from me: the Alberta lawyer leading the charge for separatism had a law society hearing today over his COVID-era correspondence with government and public health officials — some of whom he threatened with prosecution for “crimes against humanity” edmontonjournal.com/news/politic...

Podcaster accused of harassing former AHS board member says he was hired by Edmonton lawyer, court records show Legal documents identify Bryan Ward, who has acted for Sam Mraiche on multiple occasions, as the lawyer

NEW: A podcaster accused of harassing a former AHS director said he was hired by an Edmonton lawyer, court docs show. That lawyer has ties to Sam Mraiche, who owns companies at the centre of Alberta's procurement controversy.

www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic... By @tuthanhha.bsky.social

Alberta school divisions remove handful of titles from shelves as new school library rules take effect | CBC News A newly enacted provincial order on school literary materials prompted some divisions to remove a couple of dozen books from school shelves, but the names of those titles are secret.

Colleague Jo Horwood and I tried to find out, how many books were pulled off Alberta school shelves as a result of the gov't order? And what books were they?

Turns out, the names of the books are a secret #AbLeg #AbEd

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Alberta increases referendum petition fees to $25,000 — a 5,000 per cent hike EDMONTON - Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's government is hiking the cost to apply for a citizen-initiated referendum by 5,000 per cent, saying it's about making sure applicants are serious.

“The chaos and confusion and exhaustion is very similar to the same confusion, chaos and exhaustion that we've seen from the government on how they've been handling the coal situation for the last six years," Corb Lund says. www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/politics/alb...

Alberta Justice Minister Mickey Amery faces recall petition National Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views.

Alberta Justice Minister Mickey Amery faces recall petition nationalnewswatch.com/2025/12/17/c...

'Bite me': Alberta baker challenges premier's office over boycott… National Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views.

'Bite me': Alberta baker challenges premier's office over boycott tied to recall nationalnewswatch.com/2025/12/18/b...